TL : DR --- What do you guys recommend for Speed/marathon skates with a low cut boot, either 4x110 or 3x125 for WIDE flat feet. I'm sure some companies have inherently wider boots, also a low arch line would be nice.

The availability of high end inline skates is quite poor in Quebec, so I would probably order from Inline warehouse. I would like to keep it under 600$ US, of the 3 big names which has the widest boots? Powerslide, Luigino or Bont?

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Some back story after this, if you dont care, then dont read it

Hey guys, I have been inline skating pretty much all my adult life, also played hockey all of my youth and still skate casually during the winter.

Over the years I went from hockey style blades with 80mm wheels, to more recreational 90mm wheels and for the past 5-6 years I have been using K2 Mach 100s (2x90, 2x100) I have never found the transition to be that hard to bigger wheels so for my next pair I am looking at either 4x110 or 3x125.

Also I do not tie up the top part of my K2s at all, infact I leave the tongue sticking out over the plastic tie which I leave at the minimum. Basically I dont use any ankle support at all, I have always been used to that since I played hockey, so I dont think going to a low cut boot will be that hard either.

On a side note the K2s just kill my feet after about an hour, they are soft boots but are too narrow, especially for my right foot.

You will probably get a lot of different opinions on wheel size. If you are looking to develop and fine-tune your technique, I would say start with the 4 x 110s. As you probably know, technique is a major component of speed (not the skates or equipment). So, assuming you don't have a lot of experience with a pair of speed skates, I would recommend to start on smaller wheels versus the bigger ones. With that being said, if you are strictly looking to have fun and don't really care about competing or making huge improvements to your technique, 125s might be the way to go. I have heard that 125s are a little less stable over rougher surfaces, but I never personally experienced that.

In terms of boots, it all comes down to money and how serious you want to be. If you are ready to start racing and training to be competitive, then you might look into customs. Customs are expensive, but they are worth it in the long haul. Personally, I love my Pinnacle boots and would never go back to stock boots. If you don't want to spend a lot of money and get customs, then something like the Bont Jet would be a great boot. The Jet is lower end, but I've seen guys win pro level races on it. So, it won't hold you back much.

If you're unsure about wheel size, consider getting the Cado Motus Comp Transformer frame. It can use either a 4x or a 3x setup. You can start on 4x100 to work on technique, and then go bigger as you get comfortable.

If you go this route you will have to buy the frame and boot separately, so look into how to align the frame. That will make a huge difference in how well you can maintain your ankles.

I have no advice on the boots. Sorry.

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You don't improve by training until it hurts; you improve by training after it hurts.

Bont does offer a wide boot, so that might be a solid choice if you really do need something wide for your foot.

You may want to try calling Simmons to see if you can get a wide version of the Rush boot. At $389 it is the best bang for the buck by a mile. I also have very flat feet and Simmons have always worked well for me, but my feet aren't that wide. It may or may not work well for you. Check out the boot here: http://simmons-racing.com/product-ca...sh/rush-boots/

Or, you can call 1-800-376-9907 and speak directly with Dave or Jennifer Simmons. I'm guessing they might have you trace your foot in order to get an idea of exactly how wide it is, and then would be able to tell you if their boot will work for you or not.

As far as wheel size goes, the Cado Motus suggestion somebody else had is a pretty good one. It would give you some options, and the price isn't too bad. I skated on cado frames for a few years and never had an issue. The Simmons Rush frame is $40 cheaper and nice, but you don't get the ability to change between 3 or 4 wheels. I'm guessing you'll probably enjoy skating 4x110 the best, or 4x100. If you think you'll stick with 4 wheels, I'd get the 4x110 Rush so you could either run 4x110 or 4x100 (or 4xwhatever).

I usually only suggest 3x125 for people who are looking to crank every possible mph out of their skates and race at high levels of the sport. Not sure if you're into cars or not, but here is an analogy. 4x110 is like a Porsche 911 GT3. It's fast, looks great, easy to drive fast, comfortable, and makes you want to be in it every day. 3x125 is a stripped out race car. It can get around the race track faster than the GT3, but it is not as comfortable, takes a while to learn how to drive it fast, and you look a little weird driving it anywhere other than a race track.